Whisper to the Wild Water
by IMTheresa
Summary: An unexpected hunt results in a revelation and a new understanding.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: It's just a little homage to a really cool show; no disrespect intended.

**A/N**: This wasn't the story I was writing. Really! I was well on my way with a Wee!Chester story when this one wormed its way into my head and insisted on being written. Stay tuned for the story I _meant _to write, LOL.

oooOOOooo

Change the words  
Don't change the meaning  
Change the hands  
But don't change the healing  
Change the tune  
Don't change the feeling  
Change the heart  
But don't change the needing

_Whisper to the Wild Water_

Lyrics by _Máire Brennan, Tim Jarvis and Denis Woods_

oooOOOooo

Even though she was sore and she had more aches than she wanted to think about, Kristine Ryan was angry. She was mad at herself for getting into such a stupid situation – she had been brainless and foolhardy. It was just a momentary lapse in judgment, but the repercussions would last for days….at least.

Kristine didn't want to go to the main house, but she was expected. She could cover the bruises on her arms and upper body with clothes, but there was little that she could do about her face. The swelling had gone down, but it had still been painful to put on make-up. She wouldn't have bothered, but she wanted to downplay the injuries and the makeup helped make the bruises look less severe.

"What the hell happened to you?" Ellen Harvelle asked when Kristine came through the back door.

"It looks worse than it is," Kristine said nonchalantly as she poured a cup of coffee, her back to Ellen.

"I saw you for a split second when you walked in, and it looked pretty damn bad."

Kristine steeled herself before turning around.

"Oh my….Kristine!" Ellen made a move to stand up, but Kristine pulled out a chair and sat across the table from her. "What happened? Have you seen a doctor?"

"Nothing's broken."

Ellen shook her head, then looked at Kristine. "Who did that to you?"

"Ellen," Kristine's voice was soft, but firm. "I made a mistake yesterday, okay? We need to leave it at that."

"A mistake? You call this –"

"Please, Ellen?" Kristine asked, her eyes no longer quite meeting Ellen's. "It's all superficial."

"You were in Ashville last night, weren't you?"

"Don't we have some estate business to talk about?" Kristine asked.

Ellen sighed. "Fine."

They went over what they had to, and then Kristine headed off to another appointment. She wasn't particularly forthcoming with information, and Ellen decided not to push. She'd come to the estate not long after her bar, a haven for hunters, burned to the ground. With her home gone and her daughter out who knew where, she'd felt lost. Kristine had asked her to help run the estate that was also a safe house for hunters; her friend and the former manager had died in a vampire attack.

At first, it hadn't felt like a good fit, but Ellen quickly grew to love the estate and liked being able to help hunters in need. She appreciated the trust Kristine had in her, and after a few ground rules had been worked out, the two women did well together.

Ellen was aware of Kristine's past mental issues. She knew that Kristine was on anti-depressants and saw a counselor regularly, but they didn't talk about it much. Kristine had told her about how she had started to cut herself as a teenager after her sister died at the hands of the yellow-eyed demon, and how she'd spent a lot of time in mental hospitals of one kind or another for years. Ellen also knew about the dangerous things she used to do in Asheville when she was in what Kristine referred to as a dark period.

That's what worried Ellen about the bruises on Kristine's face. Had she been engaging in old behavior? And if so, why? Ellen had no idea what warning signs to look for. She knew some of Kristine's friends, and wondered if she should call any of them. Would it be an invasion of Kristine's privacy, or would it be a proactive act that might help nip something in the bud?

She decided to wait for a while and see what the next few days brought. No need to ring alarm bells if this was an isolated incident.

-----

Kristine was a trained counselor and because of her own issues, her supervisor had convinced her to start working with children. She didn't think she'd be very effective, but as it turned out, that had been her niche. At first, she'd worked primarily with teenage girls but her supervisor had gradually added younger children to her client list and now she was the main counselor assigned to children's cases.

Financially, she didn't have to work. Her family had what some referred to as old money, and she could have lived comfortably just on the interest. But that wasn't the way she was raised. Most everyone in her extended family was taught that the money wasn't a right and no one should automatically expect to share in it. Everyone was expected to work in some capacity and philanthropy was encouraged.

Kristine's contribution in that area was different than most, but no less important. She used the estate she'd inherited from her parents to house supernatural hunters in need of rest. The estate provided them with a place to stay for as long as necessary and was a primary point of information, especially after Ellen had joined the ranks. Medical care was available to anyone who needed it, and Kristine made sure anyone who needed psychological help had as much of her time as they needed.

With the help of many hunters, including Bobby Singer and the Winchesters, Kristine had managed to turn the estate into a trusted place. And because it was on the outskirts of a small town, they had all the privacy they needed. Kristine had the ear of local law enforcement as well as government officials all the way up to the governor's office. Some knew the truth about what the estate did, but most just followed orders and kept out of the way. Her family had been in the area for generations, and most of the townspeople thought the estate was just a mental health facility.

After her meeting with Ellen, Kristine drove the 40 miles to the clinic in Ashville. She decided on the way to come up with a story about a mugging and wished she'd done the same thing with Ellen. She wanted to say she didn't know why she hadn't, but in truth, she probably had wanted Ellen to force the truth out of her. On the one hand, Kristine was relieved Ellen had dropped the subject, but she was also a little disappointed.

She only had four appointments, but they weren't until the afternoon and into the early evening. Summer tended to be different, but with kids and school, she had to have a pretty flexible schedule. It normally didn't bother her since she was such a homebody.

It turned out to be a good day. All her clients had made progress in the previous week, and one little girl had even drawn a picture of a beach sunset for her. The 7-year old had been the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a family friend. It had taken Kristine a long time to earn her trust, but it had been worth it. Her parents were extremely responsive, and Kristine spent some time with them after their daughter's appointment.

Kristine knew she should feel better. Her entire day had been a success, but as she walked to her car, her mood fell lower and lower. She sat in the driver's seat with her hands clasped tightly around the wheel. She knew what she should do. She came up with three great options without even thinking very hard.

She could go home and watch a movie alone, or better yet, with Ellen. She could go back inside the clinic and tell her supervisor she needed help. Or, better yet, she could pick up her cell phone and call her therapist. She did none of those things.

Kristine started her car and drove toward one of the clubs she sometimes went to when she was feeling this way. She parked at a lot next to a gas station and went inside to change in the bathroom. She'd gone in wearing jeans and a blouse, but came out wearing a short denim skirt with a tighter blouse. Her loafers were replaced with cowboy boots. After dropping her bag at the car, Kristine walked the block to the club.

It was the kind of place where only members or guests were allowed. Kristine didn't keep her membership up, but she was known and always allowed to go in.

The room was just over 1,000 dimly-lit square feet. There was a bar across from the door with stools in front of it, and tables scattered around. The tables each had a small electric candle on it and a deep red table cloth that looked black from a distance. A dj was stationed in a corner opposite the bar, in front of the wooden dance floor. All kinds of music were played throughout the night, from standard club dance music to country and even the occasional classical selection.

This was the kind of place where anything could happen, but the customers were expected to behave in a certain way. People came here to get picked up, but no was supposed to firmly mean no; unless, of course, someone was living out a rape fantasy. But even that game had very strict rules. There was a limit on the number of drinks a customer was served. No one left drunk. In short, the club was supposed to be a safe haven for engaging in potentially dangerous sexual behavior.

"Hey, Joey," Kristine said when she took a seat at the bar.

The bartender smiled at her and set down a shot of tequila and a beer. "Didn't expect to see you here tonight."

"I wasn't sure myself."

"You feeling okay?" Joey had been working the night before when Kristine got into trouble with a new member. He touched her chin and gently moved her face to get a better look at it. "Quite an expert job with the makeup, little girl."

"I'm all right," she smiled at him.

"You get my message?" he asked, busying himself with wiping down the already spotless section of counter.

"What message?"

He looked at her. "Come to the office with me."

Kristine watched him curiously as he came around the bar. He waited for her at the end, and she swallowed the tequila shot then grabbed the glass of beer and followed him.

Joey Bragoff was one of three owners of the club. He was almost 60-years old, but could easily pass for 50. Joey was protective of all his customers, but some more than others, and Kristine was one of those. As with a lot of things in her life, it had nothing to do with her family status, but because of what she often thought of as her _other life_. Until 15 years ago, when he lost an arm in a fight, Joey had been a hunter and he knew all about how Kristine's sister died. He'd been the one to contact and help the family after he got wind of a demon attack in the area. His current relationship with Kristine was a coincidence.

Joey was leaning back against his desk when Kristine walked into the office. She glanced around the small, immaculate room before sitting on the couch that was against one wall. "What's going on, Joey?" She felt his stare and took a long swallow of the beer.

"Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor?"

"Seriously? Come on, I'm fine."

"You notice anything about the guy who did that to you?"

"Yeah. His fist hurt."

"Kristy," Joey paused and sighed. "Little girl, he was a vampire."

Kristine stared at him. "What?"

"You heard me."

"You know him?"

Joey shook his head. "He was in here on a guest pass from another member."

"Who is this other member?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Joey, I –"

"I understand the issue, but we still have privacy rules. I gotta protect him like I would anyone else. Besides, he's dead."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Do I look like someone who jokes about things like that?"

"Then why do you have to protect him?"

"It was probably the vampire that killed him. He most likely wasn't involved."

"Any idea what this vampire's story is?"

Joey shook his head. "No. I watched the security tapes, recognized his face. I thought I'd make some calls to see if I can find out who he is, but it occurred to me that your sources might be better."

"You make me a copy of the security footage?"

He nodded and held out a DVD in a simple plastic case. "I know why you come here. I mean, why you usually come here. I know sometimes it's just for a drink and a chance to unwind without prying eyes, but that's not why you've been here the last few nights."

Kristine looked away.

"Go home, Kristy. Do whoever you gotta, but get yourself together."

Kristine thought she should want to cry, but the best she could manage was curiosity about the vampire. She stood up. "Can I use the back door?"

"Of course. Call me if you need help, or when you find something out."

"I will."

"Hey."

Kristine paused at the office door.

"If you're not going to take my advice come back here. Don't go to any of the other clubs, okay?"

Kristine glanced over her shoulder with a small nod, then walked down the hall.

-----

"You okay?" Sam asked as he glanced at Dean. His brother had taken a pretty bad beating the night before while the brothers were trying to dispose of an angry zombie. Sam had gotten him back to their motel room and patched him up before he fell asleep.

Dean groaned loudly as he sat up. "Swell. How long you been awake?"

"A couple of hours."

"You wanna take off after I grab a shower?"

"If you think you can sit in the car."

"I've been hurt worse and still sat in the car." Dean grunted as he stood up.

Sam shook his head as Dean walked past him. He waited until he heard the water running before going back to his computer. Dean was out of the shower 15 minutes later.

"You find us another job?" Dean asked, dressing slowly.

Sam looked at him, trying to evaluate his condition. "There are some possibilities, but I was thinking we could just hang out somewhere for a few days."

"I'm fine."

"You're not _fine_, Dean. You can barely move well enough to put your pants on."

"So? I'll just hunt naked."

"Yeah, I don't need to see that," Sam said. "Besides, it's winter. You might not like the, uh, look."

"You got somewhere in mind, then?"

"Not really. There's something a few days east of here. Nothing exciting or time sensitive, but we can head that way."

"Fine," Dean said, finally managing to get into his shoes.

The brothers packed up and were out of the room within 15 minutes. Dean insisted on driving, but before they hit the outskirts of town, he'd turned the wheel over to Sam.

When they stopped for lunch a few hours later, it was obvious to Sam that his brother was in a lot of pain. It became even more clear when he only hate half of the burger he'd ordered. Sam knew that Dean wasn't hurt badly enough for a doctor, but he needed more rest than being in the car would allow.

"I think we should stop for the night," Sam said.

Dean looked at him with a mixture of surprise and relief. "It's not even 2:00 in the afternoon."

"Yeah, but that last job took a lot out of both of us. How about we step up the accommodations and stay at a better class of place tonight? A gym with a hot tub? Or an indoor pool?"

"Are you serious?"

Sam shrugged. "Why not? Most of the time we stay in fleabags or we find places to squat. What's wrong with being a little more comfortable for one night? We'll both feel better tomorrow."

Dean seemed to consider it, then he nodded. "Yeah, okay."

-----

It took a little convincing for Sam to get Dean into the hot tub, but it helped that no one else was around. They soaked for a while in a comfortable silence, and Sam noticed Dean looked more relaxed than he had in a long time.

Hunting and destroying supernatural creatures wasn't exactly a paying job. Like most hunters, the Winchesters lived a simple life. The brothers didn't have paying jobs, so they lived off of gambling winnings and credit card fraud. Once in a while they got rewards from grateful victims, but that didn't happen very often.

They almost never stayed in anything other than rundown motels that had seen better days. They stayed under the radar that way and could use a credit card longer than if they spent hundreds of dollars a night. Even the hotel they were in now wasn't overly luxurious, but it was a solid family establishment with a few amenities they weren't used to.

"Feeling better?" Sam asked after the brothers had dried off and were on their way back to their room.

"Yeah, actually. This was a good idea, Sammy."

"All my ideas are good," Sam smiled at him.

"I wouldn't go that far," Dean snorted. "Hey, you wanna really splurge?"

"What do you mean?"

"Room service."

"Dean…."

"Hey, this place was your idea," Dean pointed out.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. Room service."

-----

Two days later, Ellen was still worried about Kristine. The bruises were healing, but her mood didn't seem to be. She hadn't seen much of her young friend since their morning meeting. There weren't any hunters at the estate currently, and Kristine had limited her time at the main house. They'd spoken on the phone at least once a day and even though Kristine sounded cheerful enough, Ellen could tell it was just an act.

Ellen had the authority to handle virtually everything on the estate. Most of the financial things were taken care of automatically in case something ever happened to Kristine, but Ellen had access to an account for emergencies and other things that might come up. There wasn't much that Ellen needed Kristine to take care of, and that had been by design.

That arrangement made it very difficult for Ellen to find some reason to get her to the main house, so she took the chance of going to the cottage at the end of the property. Generations ago it had been housed the estate manager and his family, but Kristine's parents had used it primarily for storage. When her mother died, Kristine cleaned it out and had it remodeled then made it her home.

It was a mile to the cottage on the road through the estate and Ellen often walked, but since it was just over 35 degrees, Ellen took her car. She didn't call ahead, and wasn't sure if Kristine was even home, but she was relieved to see the red Toyota Rav 4 parked near the back door. She drove around to the front of the house where she could see lights burning through the living room window.

Ellen rang the doorbell and it took longer than she thought it should for Kristine to open the door. She was wearing sweat pants and a long-sleeved University of North Carolina t-shirt, and, without makeup, the bruises looked worse than Ellen had expected.

"Is something wrong at the main house?" Kristine asked as she moved aside to let Ellen in.

"No," the older woman said. "I just wanted to see you. You haven't been around much the last couple of days, and I wanted to make sure you were all right."

Kristine seemed somewhat uncomfortable as she glanced around the room. Ellen noticed a bottle of wine on an end table with an empty glass next to it, but she said nothing.

"I'm all right. You want something to drink?"

"No, thanks." Ellen sat down without waiting for an invitation. She heard the slight slur of Kristine's words and wondered how much of the wine she'd had to drink.

"Do we have any guests?" Kristine asked, sitting on the couch.

"No, it's quiet. I got a call from Patch, though. He's bringing a few guys by sometime in the next couple of days." Patch McGill was an old friend of hers who had often hunted with her late husband.

Kristine nodded.

"So, did I interrupt anything?" Ellen asked after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. She glanced toward the stereo when a new song began. Kristine normally listened to a country and blues, but what was coming from the speakers now was definitely leaning more toward metal. It wasn't entirely out of character, but not her usual choice.

Kristine put a foot up on the coffee table. "We don't have to play this game, Ellen. Really. I know you're worried about me, and I know you came over specifically to check on me. You don't have to try to come up with polite conversation."

Ellen tried to decide if she should be offended by Kristine's words, but it didn't take long to realize she was right. They were too good of friends to hide behind civility. "Yeah, you're right. I was worried about you. And seeing you doesn't make me feel any better. What's going on, Kristine?"

For a few moments, it seemed that Kristine wasn't going to answer. Finally, she looked at Ellen. "Honestly? I'm not sure."

"That doesn't make me feel any better, either."

"I can't say that I blame you."

"Should I be suggesting you talk to your therapist?"

Kristine shrugged. "I have an appointment in a couple of weeks."

"You think it's smart to wait until then?"

Kristine shrugged again. "It's not like before."

"What do you mean?"

"Before, I always knew it was coming. There were specific triggers – anniversaries, for instance. And I felt like I was falling into a dark hole. This isn't the same."

"But that doesn't seem like a reason to ignore what's happening."

"I'm not. Not exactly."

"You're drinking more. And I'm guessing you went to that club."

"I sometimes go there anyway. It's a safe place."

"Is that where you got beat up? That doesn't sound very safe to me."

Kristine looked away for a few moments. When she turned back to Ellen, her face was blank, but her eyes looked sad and afraid. "I was hit by someone who broke the rules."

"You don't have to tell me what happened," Ellen said, intentionally keeping her voice gentle. "But I'll listen if you want to."

Kristine appeared to think about that for a moment before she shook her head. "I don't think so, but thanks."

"I don't know what to do here, Sweetie."

"I appreciate you wanting to do something, but there's nothing to be done. I'll talk to my doctor next week and we'll go from there."

"I don't understand why you're waiting."

"There'd be more reason to worry if I cancel the appointment. I'm not going to do that."

"Are you still going to the club?"

"I haven't been there in a couple of days."

Ellen looked at her, hearing more in her voice than what her words said. "Something else is going on, isn't it? What are you up to?" Kristine didn't answer, and Ellen sighed. "All right. But when it's time to call in the Calvary, do it."

-----

"That could have gone better," Dean said as he tried to catch his breath.

Sam looked at him. He was bent over, hands on his thighs. "Little bit."

"This sucks, man. We get our asses kicked by a zombie and now this? We need a vacation."

"_You _got _your_ ass kicked by a zombie," Sam corrected. "But this? Yeah, this definitely sucked."

"Damn pissed off ghosts," Dean muttered.

Sam stood straight as the flames in the grave began to burn down. "We got 'em, though. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Mostly."

The brothers stood side by side, and when the flame had finally extinguished, they gathered their supplies and headed for the car.

"Where to?" Sam asked.

Dean slammed the trunk closed once their things were loaded. "Out of town. Pick a direction."

"East."

"Why east?"

"Closest highway goes east-west. I pick east."

Dean shrugged. "Okay. East it is."

-----

Sam fell asleep not long after they got on the highway. Dean never minded when that happened. The Impala was practically the only hone he had growing up, and it was one of the few places of comfort for either the brothers.

Dean drove until he could barely stay awake. He found a motel and parked in front of the office and rented a room, waking Sam when he got back to the car. Sam didn't even ask where they were; he just followed Dean into the room and flopped onto the bed.

"You're not setting the alarm, are you?" he asked as Dean picked up the bedside clock.

"The clerk said we could stay until 2:00 without paying for another night. That's only nine hours from now."

"Set it for 1:59 then."

Dean snorted. "That might be cutting it a little close."

"I don't care," Sam muttered as he rolled over, his back to Dean.

Dean watched him for a few moments, then kicked off his shoes and slipped out of his coat. It didn't take him long to fall asleep.

-----

"Dean!" Sam groaned when he heard his brother's cell phone ring tone. He had no idea what time it was, and he wasn't interested in finding out. When there was no response, he called Dean's name again, then reached for where it sounded like the noise was coming from. "Hello?"

"_Sam? I thought I dialed Dean's number."_

"Hey, Ellen. Yeah, you did, but I was closer. Hold on." Sam stood up and kicked Dean's bed. When he grunted, Sam dropped the phone on his chest. "Phone for you. It's Ellen."

Sam saw him fumble with the phone, then he staggered toward the bathroom. When he came back, Dean was sitting on the edge of his bed with his phone to his ear. He sat down on his own bed, concerned by Dean's expression and heard him leave a voicemail for Kristine.

"What's going on?" Sam asked when Dean plugged the phone back into the charger.

"We need to go to Mountain Ridge."

"Okay. What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure. Ellen said she's worried about Kristine. She tried to call her cousin in Charlotte, but she's out of the country. She didn't think Kristine would appreciate her calling her aunt in Asheville, and then there's something about vampires."

Sam straightened up. "Vampires? What?"

Dean shook his head. "I don't know. I told Ellen we'd be on the road within the hour."

"Grab a shower. I'll go get our stuff from the car."

"Yeah," he rubbed his face. "Thanks."

With less than five hours of sleep, the brothers were back on the road after a quick stop for coffee and food they could eat in the car.

"Ellen wasn't more specific about the vampires?" Sam asked a little later.

"She wasn't specific about anything. She sounded pretty worried."

"The estate is still safe, isn't it?"

"Yeah. At least I think so," Dean reached for his phone. "I hate that I keep getting Kristine's voicemail. She's probably at work, though."

"Why is Ellen worried about her?'

"She thinks Kristine might not be taking her meds."

"That's not good."

"No kidding," Dean said quietly. He'd been through one of the low points with Kristine, and it was one of the worst things he'd ever been a part of. It had been frightening to see how little regard she'd had for herself. His own low self-esteem had paled in comparison. "I wish we were closer."

"There's no one else Ellen could call? You said she didn't want to call her aunt?"

"Elizabeth," Dean said. "You've met her. She'd come in like a bull in a china shop and have Kristine committed by nightfall."

"I guess," Sam was noncommittal. "Her boss? Her doctor?"

"I don't know, Sam," Dean tried not to sound irritated.

Sam seemed to sense his brother's concern, and he backed down. "We're not that far away. We should be there in about 10 hours."

"That's kinda far," Dean pointed out.

"Just drive," Sam said. 'You want me to call Ellen and see if I can get anything out of her?"

Dean glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Before he could reply, Sam had his phone out.

-----

Kristine had a busy day. In addition to 7 appointments, she had a staff meeting. Despite how she felt when she wasn't at the office, she managed to keep her mind on her job during the work day. She enjoyed her job; always determined to help her clients as much as possible. The staff meeting was a different story, but she managed to get through it.

It was late afternoon before she had time for lunch, and as she walked down the street to her favorite deli, she turned on her cell phone. She saw she'd missed a call from Ellen as well as several from Dean. It wasn't unusual for Dean to call, but she had a feeling that Ellen had called him first. She thought about not listening to the only voicemail message he'd left, but knew she'd only be putting off the inevitable.

"_Hey, Darlin', it's Dean. Sam and I just finished up a couple jobs and thought we'd spend some time at the estate. We're on the way, and should be there late tonight. Give me a call, okay? Talk to ya soon."_

There were no other messages, and she wondered what Ellen had wanted. After ordering a sandwich and a soft drink at the deli, Kristine sat at one of the tables outside. It wasn't overly warm, but in the sun she was comfortable with a light jacket.

She took a few bites of the sandwich before dialing Dean's number.

"Hey, Kristine," he answered, his voice warm. "You got my message?"

"I did," she confirmed, her Southern accent more pronounced than usual. Kristine had never realized it, but her accent came out more when she was tired, drunk, or trying to hide something. "Where are you?"

"A few hours out, somewhere in Indiana. Is it okay if we come to the estate?"

"Of course it is. You know you never have to ask."

"You got anything going on there?"

Kristine took a sip of her soda. "You talk to Ellen?"

"Briefly. To check in."

"Uh-huh," Kristine didn't believe him. "I've been busy at work this week. In fact, I'm just getting lunch today. I have a couple more appointments this afternoon."

"You goin' out tonight?"

Kristine thought that an odd question, but if he'd talked to Ellen, Dean was no doubt worried about her. "No. I don't have any plans for the weekend. Well, other than spending time with you." She tried to sound inviting, but she was actually concerned about how things would go. Dean wouldn't be as easy to divert as Ellen. "What time do you think you'll be here?"

"Not until after midnight. We'll probably just grab a room in Asheville or something, and come to the estate in the morning."

"That's silly," Kristine told him, because he would expect it. "I'll wait for you at the main house. I know Sam won't want to stay at the cottage, so I'll make sure his room his made up."

"His room?" Dean asked with a laugh.

She could imagine Sam's curious look at his brother. "The room he likes. I know he says it doesn't matter, and it probably doesn't, but there's one room he likes more than the others."

"He'll appreciate it, I'm sure. You don't have to wait up for us, though."

"Don't worry about it. I don't want to cut this short, but I'm starving and I need to get back to the office soon. I'll call you on my way home."

"Okay. Talk to you later."

-----

Dean slipped the phone back into his pocket, then glanced at Sam across the car. "She's hiding something."

"Ellen's right, then?"

"Maybe. So, tell me again," Dean said, even though Sam had already relayed his conversation with Ellen several times. "That guy, Patch, he says he's gotten wind of a vampire nest in Ashville?"

"Yeah. Ellen trusts him. She's known him for years, and he knew Dad, too."

Dean grunted.

"Patch called Ellen – he and a couple friends were on their way to the estate anyway when they got word of vampires. She tried to talk to Kristine about it, but she didn't seem interested."

"That would make sense if she was off her meds. She's not gonna care about much of anything."

Sam didn't respond.

"Of course, knowing Kristine, she could just be up to something. It wouldn't be the first time."

Sam still didn't respond. The last time Ellen had been worried about Kristine, she'd gone off with a vampire on some half-baked plan to find him after Dean had been sent to Hell.

"Damnit!" Dean hit the steering wheel. "What is it with her and vampires?"

"These could be unrelated events, Dean," Sam pointed out.

"I hope so. I think."

-----

Kristine finished her day, wished her supervisor and co-workers a happy weekend, then left the building and headed for her car in a garage down the block. It was after standard business hours, but there were several people moving about on the sidewalk. The air was colder after the sun set, but Kristine found her light jacket to still be warm enough.

The clinic leased parking spots for its employees, and Kristine entered the stairwell to get to the fourth level. She'd sensed someone following her on the street – not in any paranormal way, but in the same way that people could feel that they were being watched. She wasn't surprised to hear footsteps behind her on the stairs.

"Big plans for the weekend?" she heard as she opened the door. Kristine looked over her shoulder as she walked out onto the parking level. "Roger. I didn't realize you were behind me."

"I left right after you did, but was too far away to get your attention on the street," Roger, one of the other counselors at the clinic laughed. "You seem pretty focused."

"Oh, yeah, sorry," she fumbled for words. "I have guests coming this weekend, and I was just thinking about what I still had to get done."

"So, you do have big plans," he laughed. "Well, enjoy."

"Yeah, thanks. What about you?" Kristine asked, forcing politeness.

"The wife and I are going to be doing some remodeling, so we're gonna pack up a couple rooms."

"Oh, fun."

"Yeah," he rolled his eyes. "Loads. Well, see ya on Monday."

"Okay. See ya."

Roger got into his car as Kristine slowly continued to her small SUV. She still felt as if she wasn't alone, but when she looked around, she saw no one. She'd just reached her car when she heard someone call her name.

"Jean-Claude." She turned around to see the pale man step out of the shadows. "It's about time. I've been trying to get a hold of you for days."

"What are days to someone who is immortal?"

"Yeah, well in case you've forgotten, I'm not immortal."

"Would you like to be?" he smiled, earning him a glare. He took a few steps closer. "The bruises are healing, I see."

"You know who did it?" she asked.

He nodded.

"You know, things would be much simpler if you guys really couldn't be photographed."

"Things would be much simpler if you didn't keep going looking for trouble," Jean-Claude rebutted. He didn't wait for a response. "That said, his name is Benjamin, and he's one of mine. He killed the club member whose guest pass he took, and since he didn't feed on the man, he's broken the rules. We don't kill indiscriminately. He'll be dealt with once he's been found."

"Found? He's not in town any more?"

"Not as far as I've been able to determine."

"Why did he go after me? Please tell me it was random."

"That's doubtful. But I won't know that until I've been able to talk to him. There are others here, you know."

"Others?"

"You have a nest in your midst. They aren't mine and they have hunters on their trail already."

"What hunters?"

"Friends of yours."

"The Winchesters?"

"No. Friends of Ellen's is more correct, I suppose."

"Patch."

Jean-Claude nodded. "I don't want to get caught in the cross-fire, which is one reason it took me so long to come to you."

"You could have just called."

"That's so impersonal," he touched her face. "Especially considering our relationship."

"We don't have a relationship," Kristine said, though she didn't move away. "At least not like that."

"We did."

"Jean-Claude…."

He moved his hand away. "As you wish. Would you like to know when I've taken care of Benjamin?"

"Would that require another personal visit?"

"Don't worry, I won't show myself in front of your hunter. I'd hate to get myself staked."

"He's not _my _hunter," Kristine said quietly.

Jean-Claude looked at her. "You walk a very fine line. You know that, though, don't you?" Kristine said nothing, but she saw the vampire's smile. "That's why you do it. You like the adventure. The danger. And you know exactly what to say to your doctor so he'll prescribe the exact right amount of medication that keeps you from toppling over the line, but not so much as to make you avoid it."

"Are you done?"

"Don't be so disrespectful. I like you, but even I have my limits. I wouldn't push me if I were you." He moved even closer, put his face near her neck and breathed deeply. Kristine stayed still and after a few moments he stood up straight. "I will deal with Benjamin. The other vampires are not my concern. I'll be in touch."

-----

Sam knew that Dean was anxious to get to North Carolina, but he really wanted some food and at least a few minutes out of the car. He glanced across the car and saw his brother's determined expression. With a little subtle maneuvering, he could see the gas gauge; they'd need to stop soon.

Dean pulled up to the gas pumps outside a large store. While he pumped, Sam went inside to use the bathroom and to buy some supplies. He would have preferred eating at a restaurant, even a fast-food place, but he knew Dean wouldn't agree to that. Instead, Sam picked up things from the deli that wouldn't make a mess in the car. He took his time, not that Dean would get the Impala's huge gas tank filled quickly.

Kristine had called Dean on her way home from work as she promised, and the conversation had left Dean even more worried. He didn't really tell Sam much – the conversation had been pretty short, anyway, but Dean knew her well enough to be able to tell when something was wrong. And Sam knew his brother just as well.

Sam had talked to Ellen, and she told him she was going to try to get Kristine to spend the evening at the main house. Her friend, Patch, had finally arrived with his partners, so she thought it would be easy to convince Kristine to come to the house to meet them. She also filled him in on the latest intel from Patch about the nest that he was sure had moved into Asheville. Sam told Dean, who became even more agitated.

After paying for the food, Sam paused at the door to watch his brother. He was leaning back against the car with his phone to his ear. He waited until Dean put the phone away, then made his way outside slowly. "I got you a sandwich."

Dean nodded. "Thanks. Can you watch this? I'm gonna hit the head."

"Sure." He put the bag into the car, and when the gas tank was full he replaced the nozzle and closed the gas cap. He was standing next to the car sipping coffee when Dean got back from inside. "Were you on the phone before?"

Dean gook the offered coffee and nodded. "I called to check in with Kristine. She's been at the main house all night, so I guess she's been out of trouble."

"She say anything about the vampires?"

"I didn't ask. This is going to be an interesting visit."

Sam nodded in agreement. "You want me to drive for a while?"

"I'm okay."

They were back on the road a few minutes later.

-----

Kristine was curled up on a couch in the media room, not really watching the television. The hunters had turned in a couple hours before, and Ellen was in a chair across the room. Kristine had no doubt that Ellen was as disinterested in the movie as she was herself.

She wanted to be annoyed that Ellen had called Dean, even though neither one would admit that she had, but logically she knew she was in way over her head. She'd never intended for Dean to find out about Jean-Claude – it wasn't because she and Dean had an exclusive relationship, because they didn't, but because of how he would feel about her being involved with a vampire. She hoped she could get through the next few days without divulging that piece of information.

She'd thought a lot about what Jean-Claude had said to her about walking a fine line. She really didn't think her therapist was as easily manipulated as Jean-Claude did, but she couldn't help but wonder if there was at least some truth to it. She agreed that she walked a fine line, and she didn't really want to stop doing that.

Even though the media room was close to the center of the first floor, the unmistakable sound of the Impala's engine could be heard as the car drove past the house. There was a small parking area in the front of the house for visitors, but Dean always parked in the back and came in through the kitchen door.

"Sounds like we have visitors," Kristine said with a smile she didn't really feel.

"Maybe it was just the wind," Ellen laughed as she followed Kristine out of the room.

"Hey, guys." Sam and Dean hadn't gotten too far into the house when Kristine and Ellen reached them. She hugged Sam lightly, then moved closer to Dean. After a quick hug and kiss, Dean put his arm around her shoulders.

"You must have been speeding," Ellen said maternally. She hugged them both.

"No more than usual," Sam grinned.

"Well, now that I know you're here safe and sound, I'm going to bed. See you both in the morning."

"I'll walk upstairs with you," Sam said. "Night guys."

Kristine saw the look that passed between the brothers, but like so many of them, she wasn't exactly sure what it said. She forced another smile. "Good night."

Once they were alone, Kristine turned to face Dean. He slipped his arms around her waist. "Hey."

He smiled at her. "Hey."

"You look tired."

Dean touched her cheek. "So do you."

"We sleeping here?"

Kristine shook her head. She took his hand and led him out the back door.

_TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: See chapter 1

oooOOOooo

Fear of danger is ten thousand times more terrifying than danger itself.

_Daniel Defoe_

oooOOOooo

Kristine was awake before Dean. She cuddled up next to him for a few minutes, enjoying the warmth. Afraid she would wake him, she got out of bed quietly and grabbed her discarded sweatshirt from the floor and a pair of jeans from the bureau.

She was standing on the deck with a cup of coffee when he joined her later. It was just after 11:00, and the unseasonably warm weather was continuing. She heard the French door open and she glanced over her shoulder to smile at him. He stood behind her, his hands wrapped around her waist and his face close to hers.

Kristine leaned back against him, finding no particular reason to speak. She set her coffee cup on the deck railing and put her hands on Dean's. Even though he lived a hard life and used his hands for everything from playing pool to working on his car and hitting all manner of being, he was still somehow soft. He had muscles, but he wasn't overly buff. Kristine liked the way his arms felt around her.

"You're quiet," Dean whispered into her ear after several comfortable minutes.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For being quiet?"

"I don't want to play games," she said. "I know Ellen called you because she's worried about me."

"This got serious a lot sooner than I expected."

"I'm sorry she called you. I'm happy to see you, but –"

Dean brushed her shoulder with a kiss. "Does Ellen have reason to be worried?"

"Don't I always give her reason to worry?" Kristine asked with a chuckle.

"She said you were spending time in that club in Asheville."

"That club….it's the only place I can go where I don't have to worry about being judged," Kristine said quietly. "Everybody in this town knows who I am and what family I come from. I have to act a certain way. It's worse in Asheville. Not as many people know me, but enough do. With cell phone cameras, you just never know where your picture might end up. Even if you're just in a bar, listening to music and maybe dancing a little….you're not doing anything that people all over the world are allowed to do…."

Dean held her more securely. "Kristine, I –"

"I'm tired, Dean. I'm tired of having to be careful. Sometimes I just wanna listen to a band play in a bar, ya know? I don't always want to be in some ballroom, ….I just want to have some fun without it embarrassing my aunt."

"You sure you aren't being overly dramatic? Dean asked gently.

"A couple months ago, I went out after work. Some of us went to this corporate bar down the street from the clinic. You know, the kind of place business people go after work? Hardly a dive or anything."

"Something happen?"

"Someone snapped a picture of me with a shot in my hand. It ended up on some gossip site and was brought to my aunt's attention. She didn't care all that much, but some of her society friends were pretty crappy about it, I guess. I've been the source of gossip and embarrassment for my family for years, so I go to the club. I go to a place where only members are allowed, and no one takes pictures because someone might take one of them, too. I drink a few drinks, I listen to music, and sometimes I dance. All in a place where I can't embarrass my family."

"Is that where you got beat up?" Kristine didn't answer and Dean continued. "Ellen didn't say anything, but I know what old bruises look like."

"It's being handled."

"You tell Ellen any of what you told me?"

Kristine was surprised he was backtracking, and she shook her head.

"Why not?"

She shrugged. "I love Ellen, I do. And I'm glad she's here, but….Sometimes she's just like everyone else. If I don't act a certain way, she worries. She doesn't mean to, I don't think, but sometimes I feel like she's judging me, too."

"And you don't think this could maybe all just be in your head?" She tried to pull away, but Dean held her tight. "I don't mean it that way. I mean, maybe you just think she feels that way."

For the first time in weeks, Kristine felt something. She'd been feeling empty since the conversation about the picture with her aunt, and now all she wanted to do was cry. She turned around, and without a word buried her face in Dean's chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist and felt his arms go around her.

They stood quietly for a while and even though she was sad and wanted to, Kristine didn't cry. She turned her head to the side, resting her cheek against Dean's t-shirt. "There are vampires in Asheville."

"I know. Ellen's friend has been tracking them."

"Have you ever met Patch? Ellen says he knew your dad."

"No," Dean answered stiffly. "Sam and I are gonna talk to him, see if we can take care of the nest and just be done with it. You know if they've done anything in town?"

"Not as far as I know. I guess they caused some trouble further south, and that's how they got on Patch's radar."

"You know anything about them?"

"Just what Patch has told us."

They stood quietly again, and Kristine thought the conversation was over. After several long moments, Dean kissed the top of her head. "Who hit you?"

"The guest of a club member. And like I said, it's being handled."

"Handled, how?"

"Handled," Kristine said pulling away slightly, but Dean held onto her arms gently.

"I'm not the enemy, Babe."

"I know you're not. But I'm not going to give you the name of the guy who roughed me up because I know exactly what you'd do. Trust me when I tell you the club handles its own problems."

"You wanna tell me what happened?"

Kristine looked at Dean, her love for him finally coming to the surface. She put her hand on the side of his face. "I don't think you want to hear the details, Dean. But it's probably not what you think. I didn't leave with him. We danced. I don't know why, but he came after me."

Dean put his hand on hers, then moved it to his lips and kissed her gently. "I have a feeling we have more to talk about."

"Maybe," she said. "But in the meantime, there's probably hot food at the main house and information about a vampire nest."

"Food, huh?" Dean grinned. "Okay, let's go."

Kristine laughed and he pulled her close again. "It's good to see you."

"You, too." She kissed him.

-----

Sam had just walked into the kitchen when Dean and Kristine came through the back door. "Hey, guys."

Kristine headed for the coffee pot. She could smell the aroma of freshly made food, and saw the array of pots and pans around the room.

"You talk to Patch yet?" Dean asked.

"Briefly. I haven't been awake all that long."

"Slacker," Dean said with a smirk.

"Bite me, Dean.'

Kristine handed Dean a cup of coffee. "He hasn't been awake all that long either."

"I don't think I want to know," Sam said. "There's a buffet set up in the dining room."

"Of course there is," Kristine said. "Mille's been hard at work, I see."

"I didn't cook." Ellen laughed when she walked into the kitchen. She started to pull plates from the cupboard. "She's a great cook, but not so good with some things to put the food on."

The others helped carry dishes and silverware to the dining room, and after some light conversation, the topic turned to the vampire nest in Asheville.

"At first, I thought it was just a lone vampire wandering around, but now I think there might actually be two groups," Patch said.

"What makes you think that?" Sam asked.

"We've been watching the one. Still haven't found where he's staying, though. Anyway, we been watching him, and have seen him with others who seem to be friendly toward him. Last night he was seen with someone who didn't seem so friendly. And I recognized the someone."

Kristine stopped chewing, but tried not to overreact.

"Who is it?" Dean asked.

"Name is Jean-Claude," Patch said, then took a sip of coffee. "I've run into him before, and he never seems to cause any trouble. Seems to be one of them vampires that doesn't hunt for the pleasure of it – he and his group go after animals, and the occasional criminal. That kind of thing."

"This Jean-Claude is here with a nest?"

"He doesn't usually travel alone, but I didn't see him with anyone. The one we followed up here from Florida….he's with 3 or 4 others. I don't see him being part of Jean-Claude's group."

"So, we need to find him and his group," Dean said. "And maybe we can leave Jean-Claude alone."

Kristine looked at him, again not trying to overreact.

"Could be he's here to deal with the other one," Patch pointed out before another swallow of coffee. He got up and walked across the room to refill his cup. "We could just go after the whole bunch of them, but I don't wanna waste time on a vampire who seems to be living as right as he can, if ya know what I mean."

"Yeah," Dean said quietly. "I know what you mean. We ran into a group a while back who lived off of animals and not humans. Really changed my thinking."

"We got enough troubles without making more," Patch said.

Kristine listened as the conversation continued, knowing that she had to get in touch with Jean-Claude. He was old-fashioned and didn't use a cell phone. He preferred more antiquated ways of communicating, but she didn't think she had time to jump through all of the hoops his preferred method would require. She knew one of his trusted family members used a cell phone, which is how she got in touch with him after she was attacked. Jean-Claude didn't like to be contacted that way, but she didn't really care.

She needed to make sure no one found out about their relationship, whatever it was exactly. She also wanted to let him know that he'd been spotted and might not have the luxury of time to deal with Benjamin.

But first, she had to sit through the rest of the meal and the conversation. She'd long since lost her appetite, but no one seemed to notice that she wasn't eating. She sipped at her coffee as the hunters discussed strategy and made plans. After an acceptable amount of time, she excused herself and left the room with only a cursory glance from Dean.

Kristine went to the kitchen to start cleaning up even though she knew Millie would take offense. But she figured she could do something productive and make a phone call at the same time without it seeming too suspicious. She was far enough away from the dining room to have a little privacy, and she figured the others would be leaving there soon enough.

She knew there was no chance of getting a hold of Jean-Claude's…friend during the day, but she could at least leave a message. She pulled her cell phone from her back pocket and scrolled through her contacts looking for the right name. She had just finished the voicemail when Millie came into the kitchen with an armload of dishes.

"Out!" she ordered.

"You don't have to clean all this up yourself," Kristine said.

"Maybe not, but I'm going to. Out!"

Kristine couldn't help but smile. Millie was a fairly recent addition to the staff, but she had no idea how they had gotten along without her. "Yes'm."

"Kristine?" she'd just headed toward the back of the house when she heard Dean's voice. He caught up to her and put an arm around her waist and they continued down the hall. "We're going to head to Asheville tonight to see what we can find out. How about you and I do something before that?"

"Something like what?"

"A movie? I don't know. What do normal people do on the weekend?"

"Normal? I have absolutely no idea," Kristine laughed.

-----

"Ellen says you knew my dad," Sam said to Patch as they got ready for the outing in Asheville.

Patch nodded as he looked over one of his guns. "Long time ago. I was sorry to hear about his passing. He was a sonofabitch, but a good man."

Sam smiled to himself.

"I met him after he'd been hunting a few years," Patch continued with his intermittent Southern accent. "Me and Bill, Ellen's husband, had been partners off and on and your daddy was sent to Bill by Jim Murphy. Now, that was a good man."

"Yes, sir," Sam agreed.

"He had you and your brother with him," Patch said. "I'd forgotten all about that. You were still pretty much in diapers, I imagine. Your brother was already a handful."

"I don't doubt that," Sam laughed.

"Your dad was still kinda green, but had in his mind how things should be. He was a good student, though."

"I can't see my dad being a student," Sam said. "He always seemed like he knew everything."

"That's what a boy should think about his daddy. And he did know a lot. I imagine he learned more after we parted ways."

"He seemed to part ways with a lot of people."

"Things got hard for him after Bill died. He blamed himself."

"It wasn't his fault?"

Patch looked at him. "Hell, no. He was there, but there wasn't nothin' he coulda done different. He did Bill a favor by killing him. His end wouldn't have been pleasant otherwise. Ellen say it was his fault?"

"Not exactly, but we never really talked about it. She told Jo, Jo told us."

"Jo," Patch rolled his eyes. "Now there's a girl who could stand to learn a few things. 'Course I ain't seen her in a long time, so maybe she has. But, no, Bill dying wasn't your daddy's fault."

"Were you there?"

"No, but your dad told me what happened. I tried to make him see even then that it wasn't his fault. He took things to heart, that man. Always thought he was more powerful than he was. Not that he wasn't plenty strong, of course."

"Of course," Sam agreed.

"But I ain't seen a man more gentle with his boys," Patch went back to work. "He surely loved you and your brother."

Sam felt tears sting his eyes. He didn't remember much of his father's gentle ways. His dad was hard on him and Dean, but he realized later that it had been for their own good. He'd never abused them, and never pushed them further than they could handle, but Sam had spent far too many years resenting him for it. Those were years he regretted now. He missed his father, and wished he could have just a few minutes with him to tell him he didn't hate him.

Dean had told him more than once that their dad never thought Sam hated him, but after the way he'd treated the man….Sam cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the weapons. He knew Dean would be back soon, and they'd be heading out not long after that.

-----

Kristine was alone when her cell phone rang. She and Dean had gone into the small town of Mountain Ridge to wander around and they saw a movie at the one-screen theater. It wasn't a current release, but Dean didn't seem to mind. She knew that he liked being here, and still found the town charming. She'd grown up in Mountain Ridge, except when she was in mental hospitals or off at college, and she often found it very claustrophobic.

She'd gone to the main house with him, and after a quick meal, he and the other hunters had left for Asheville. She looked at the caller ID display of her phone, but there was no information. She almost let it go to voicemail, but thought it might be Jean-Claude or his friend.

"Hello?"

"Bonsoir."

"Jean-Claude. I'm surprised you're using a telephone."

"Your message seemed urgent."

"It was," Kristine said and relayed what Patch had told the group over brunch earlier in the day. "He and the others are on their way to Ashville to check things out. Do you know where Benjamin is?"

"As I said, he's not in town."

"Then why are you still here?"

"I have my reasons. However, since I have been spotted, my friends and I will leave. I don't want any trouble with hunters, and I have a lead on Benjamin."

"What is that other group of vampires doing here?"

"I don't know. It's true I was in the company of one of them last evening, but it was a coincidence."

Kristine wasn't sure she believed him, but she saw no reason to pick a fight. "If you run into Dean or the other hunters, just leave them alone. Please?"

"I told you that I don't want any trouble with them. What happens with the other group, however….."

"As long as Benjamin isn't a part of that other group, I don't care what happens to them."

"Understood."

-----

Patch took the brothers to the bar where he'd spotted the vampires before. The two men he was working with came in separately a few minutes later. Dean looked around carefully while trying to be inconspicuous. He didn't see anyone that even remotely looked like a vampire.

"You see any of them?" Sam asked as he, too, scanned the room.

"Not so far," Patch said. "I talked to the bartender last night, though, and they've been in here almost every night for the past few. I haven't figured out where else they spend their time."

They ordered drinks from the waitress that stopped at the table, then settled in for a while. Dean nodded toward the door almost half an hour later. "Here we go."

"That's the one from Florida," Patch confirmed.

They watched him as he interacted with a waitress and a few other patrons. He played a game of pool, winning some amount of money, then ordered another drink. The hunters noticed that he'd not finished any of the ones he'd ordered prior to this one. Vampires could drink if they chose, but he clearly didn't want to.

"You got a name on this one?" Sam asked.

"Brady. I don't know if that's a first name or a last name."

"Looks like he's headed to the door," Dean noticed. "We following?"

"You two take point," Patch said. "I'll have your tail."

They didn't waste time talking about it.

Dean took off for the car while Sam followed the vampire along the sidewalk. Brady walked for several blocks before pushing open a door. Sam looked up to see a sign advertising the Pierpont Inn. He looked over his shoulder to see Dean parking the Impala, and Patch was coming from across the street. He walked into the building lobby.

The Pierpont had definitely seen better days, though it wasn't as rundown as some of the places the Winchesters had stayed. There was a small bar to the right, but when Sam looked, he didn't see Brady. He turned back to the lobby just as Patch and Dean walked in. The brothers held back while Patch approached the desk clerk. He walked back to where Sam and Dean were a few minutes later.

"Brady isn't staying here, but he visits someone who is. He's been here a several times in the last several days."

"Who's he visiting?"

"Alice Reynolds. She checked in about a week ago, paid cash in advance."

"What do we do now?" Sam asked.

"Wait for him to come out?" Dean suggested. "We don't know what we'd be walking in to."

"I hate that plan, but it sounds like a winner," Patch noted. "I kinda don't wanna end up dead tonight. For all we know, the woman is another vampire."

"We have weapons and dead man's blood," Sam pointed out.

"And a crappy motel full of people," Dean added. "We gotta play this smart."

"Yeah, you're right."

"There are enough of us to cover all the possible exits," Dean said. "And some that shouldn't be."

Sam and Dean waited outside together, watching the back of the hotel. They were quiet for a while, then Sam asked about Kristine. He saw Dean shrug. "I don't know, man. I think she's okay for the most part, but she's definitely going through something."

"I noticed the bruises," Sam said quietly.

"Yeah," Dean sighed. "Some guy beat her up at that club she sometimes goes to."

Sam became angry even though it was more than a little belated.

"She says she goes there to hang out because she doesn't have to worry about ending up in the local gossip rags and embarrassing her family. She's just Kristine, ya know? I don't think about her being kinda famous."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Was she hurt badly?"

"She wouldn't go into details, but I don't think so. She said it was being handled, and wouldn't tell me who did it."

"Can't blame her for that," Sam snorted. "We both know what you'd do."

Dean didn't respond.

"You know, we can handle this vampire thing if you think you need to spend more time with her," Sam said.

"If I spend too much time with her, it'll just piss her off," Dean told him. "Besides, when have you ever known me to give up a good vampire hunt?"

"Well, never, but that doesn't –"

Dean smacked Sam on the chest. "There he is. Call Patch."

Sam and Dean followed the vampire, and as soon as it was feasible, made their attack. Patch and his friends came from the opposite direction, and they cornered it in an alley. He put up a token struggle, seemingly understanding that even with his superior strength, he was out-numbered. Patch made use of the dead man's blood, and they loaded the vampire into the van that one of the hunters drove.

Patch had set up a place to take the vampire soon after getting to town. He was secured with chains, though the poison was working, and would keep him weak.

"You have no idea what you've stepped into here," the vampire said in a raspy voice.

"Why don't you tell us, then?" Dean suggested, brandishing a blood soaked stake.

"I'm not afraid of you."

"I don't care if you are, or not. I just want you to talk. Whose room were you in at the hotel?"

The vampire looked from one hunter to the next, and then finally back to Dean. "A human acquaintance. She's of no importance to you."

Dean let it go. Sam had already researched the woman's name, and found out what they needed to know. "Why are you in town? How many of your kind are with you?"

"My kind?" the vampire laughed, but it quickly degenerated into a pained cough. "Five members of my family are with me. But there are others here not related to us."

"We know there are two groups. What is the other one doing here?"

"I don't know. I've spoken with two of them, but that's all."

Dean held the stake to the vampire's throat. "That's all?"

"That's all." He glared at Dean.

"Why did your _family _come here?"

"Everyone has to be somewhere."

Dean punctured the vampire's skin with the stake. It would have had little effect if not for the dead man's blood. Dean practically snarled at him. "Why?"

"We're just passing through. On our way to Nashville for a small country music festival."

Dean was taken aback. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. We like country music."

Dean glanced at his brother; Sam only shrugged.

"You been killin' people," Patch said as he took a few steps forward. "And some you just left for dead."

"We were hungry," the vampire shrugged, but his carefree demeanor was fading.

"I s'pose you don't wanna tell us where the others are," Patch said.

"Not really. You're going to kill me whether I do or not."

Patch nodded. "That's likely true. But we might kill you more quickly if you tell us."

"They're my family," Brady shrugged. "I will protect them to the end."

"What will they do if you don't come home?" Patch asked.

The vampire didn't answer.

"You said you'd spoken with two from the other group," Patch said after a long silence. "I know one of them was Jean-Claude. Who was the other?"

Brady seemed surprised that Patch knew Jean-Claude's name, but he didn't comment. Taking his silence for a declination to answer the question, Dean punctured his skin again. The vampire appeared to be struggling – perhaps not to scream. The dead man's blood reportedly felt like fire coursing through a vampire's veins.

"His name is Benjamin." He looked at Dean, managing a snarl. "You might want to ask your woman about him."

"Why?" Dean asked. "What do you know about her?"

"Benjamin is the one who attacked her. He asked me for sanctuary, but I want no quarrel with Jean-Claude."

Dean put his face close to the vampire, and pulled his head back with his hair. "Are you saying Jean-Claude is after Kristine?"

The vampire smiled, though obviously in pain. "If that was the case, would Benjamin need sanctuary?"

From the corner of his eye, Dean saw Sam move closer to him. Dean was shaking, but not from fear. He felt pure rage toward this vampire, and all he wanted to do was end it. Before he could react, the door of the house they'd taken over opened and one of Patch's friends walked in.

"We're about three minutes from a whole lotta company."

-----

Kristine lay curled up on a couch in the main house. Ellen, Millie and a couple more of the permanent staff were playing cards in the kitchen, trying to keep their minds off of whatever was going on in Asheville. Kristine knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate on even a simple game, so she opted out.

She had more to worry about than her friends. If Dean found out about her connection to the vampires….She didn't even want to think about how that conversation would go. He already had enough to worry about with Sam's connection to Ruby and the impending apocalypse. Kristine was sure he was more concerned about his brother, though.

It wasn't like she and Dean had ever talked about forever, but she was afraid that if he found out about Jean-Claude, he wouldn't ever want to see her again. They didn't spend much time together now, but she didn't think she could face forever completely without him.

The room wasn't particularly cold, but Kristine pulled the afghan up to her chin. She wanted this whole thing to be over, with Dean kept nicely in the dark. And, of course, she wanted him and the others to survive what would no doubt end up being a battle with vampires.

Kristine tossed the blanket aside after a few minutes and stood up. She paced the room, starting to feel like she was trapped. It was nearly midnight, and the guys had been gone for several hours. She didn't like not having word from them, but at the same time, she was afraid of what Dean might have to say.

She heard the house phone ring sometime later as was somewhere between being asleep and awake. A few minutes later Ellen appeared in the doorway and told her the hunters were on their way back.

-----

Sam leaned against the passenger side door of the Impala and watched his brother through partially closed eyes. They'd managed to kill four of the seven vampires that arrived at the abandoned building to rescue Brady, but it had cost them three hunters. Three vampires managed to get away. They'd been infected with dead man's blood, though probably not enough to kill them.

Sam's injuries were fairly minor, but he was concerned about a deep gash on Dean's arm. His shirt was in tatters, but he had stopped working long enough for Sam to help him stop the bleeding.

They'd had to dispose of all the bodies, which meant going even further into the country so that the blaze wouldn't attract attention. They'd also had to clean up the house they'd used, though the primary concern there was to make sure all traces of the hunters was gone. They considered setting the house on fire to get rid of any evidence, but their focus had been on giving their dead comrades the proper send-off.

Sam was fairly certain Dean would need stitches, but no doubt he wasn't the only one. They were all headed to the Mountain Ridge estate where there would be plenty of medical care for everyone. He knew that Patch had called the main house once they had an estimated time of arrival. He'd warned Ellen that they were coming back injured.

"You doin' okay?" Sam asked, noting Dean's arm was limp in his lap.

"I'm fine." Sam sat up, but a wave of nausea from the headache forced him back against the door. "You don't look so good, though."

"Headache," Sam said. "I'm all right."

"Probably a concussion. Do you need a hospital?" Dean asked with concern.

"No," Sam hesitated. "Dean, I –"

"Can we not do this now?" Dean asked, sounding more tired than angry. "The whole night was all jacked up, and I just don't have the energy."

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "But –"

Dean looked at him briefly. "I know what you're really worried about, but it's okay. Trying to get the vampire to talk? It….It wasn't the same as Hell."

"Maybe not," Sam agreed, though that's not how he felt.

"What do you think he meant? Brady, I mean. Is Kristine somehow involved with all this? Why wouldn't she tell me? A vampire hurt her, and she doesn't tell me? Why, Sam?"

"I don't know. She's known by hunters, though, so it makes sense the things we hunt would know about her, too. Could be he was just messing with you."

"Maybe," Dean said, not sounding convinced.

Sam saw him glance into the rearview mirror. "They still back there?" he asked of the hunters in the van.

"Yeah. I can't believe the sun is coming up. This has been a long night. I just want to sleep for a month."

"I want to look at that arm first. I bet you need stitches."

"I'm not letting you anywhere near me with a needle. I'm not convinced we shouldn't be headed for the emergency room for you."

"I don't need an emergency room," Sam assured him. He didn't doubt he had a slight concussion, but he knew it wasn't too serious. And if Dean really suspected that he needed a doctor, nothing Sam could say would dissuade him.

A lot of lights were on in the main house when Dean pulled up behind it. The van parked next to the Impala, and as the hunters got out of the vehicles, Ellen and a few others came outside to help them.

Dean noticed that Kristine was in the back of the small group. She looked at him, her eyes immediately going to his injured arm. She seemed hesitant at first, but her concern outweighed whatever else she was feeling and she came off the porch quickly.

He put his good arm around her for a quick hug, but turned his attention to Sam, who was still leaning against the car.

"Sam…." Dean took a step back toward him, but his help was waved off.

"I'm okay."

"Let's just get inside and we'll go from there," Kristine said.

Ellen and Carrie, who was one of the first permanent residents of the safe house, were already seeing to Patch and his friends by the time Kristine and the brothers got into the kitchen. Others were making sure the necessary supplies were available and cleaning away what had been used as quickly as possible. This wasn't the first triage the estate had seen, and everyone worked efficiently.

Kristine managed to get Dean to start cleaning his wound while she took a look at Sam. She agreed he had a minor concussion, but his other injuries were superficial. She turned her attention to Dean when he was finished at the sink.

While the hunters were being tended to, the liquor flowed freely. They drank to their fallen comrades, as well as to dull the physical pain they were feeling. In an emergency room there would be local anesthesia, but all the estate had to offer was whiskey and tequila.

Millie had set out some leftovers and once all the wounds were tended to, the men started to eat. No one was overly hungry, but they realized food was necessary. It wasn't long before they made their way upstairs to the bedrooms, however. Patch took a bottle of whiskey with him.

Dean made sure Sam got to his room all right and sat with him until he was satisfied he wasn't going to go unconscious. Sam hadn't had any alcohol, but he hadn't eaten much either. Dean was constantly amazed at how little food it took to sustain his large body.

Kristine was just reaching the top of the stairs when Dean left his brother's room.

"Is he okay?" she asked.

Dean nodded. "You guys did a great job taking care of everyone. Thanks."

She shrugged. "It's what we do. Thankfully, not too often, though. I figured you'd want to stay here – close to Sam. The room next door is ready."

Dean glanced at the closed door. "Thanks. You staying, too?"

"Yeah."

Dean heard the timid tone of her voice, and couldn't help notice she'd not moved any closer to him. That, more than anything he'd heard from the vampire Brady, told him she knew more than she'd let on. She'd been the one to stitch up his arm, though, and her movements had been thorough but gentle. He hoped he was reading the situation wrong because of the exhaustion, pain and alcohol.

"Come on," she said quietly and moved to the bedroom door. She opened it and paused for a moment. He followed her inside and she closed the door.

Only a small lamp on a bedside table was lit, but sunlight was coming through the partially open curtains. Once Kristine pulled them closed, the room was almost dark. Dean kicked off his shoes and lowered himself to the bed. Kristine handed him a clean t-shirt, but he didn't know if it was one of his own or one from the estate stash. When he realized he'd need her help to get into it, he set it aside.

Without a word, she picked it up and pulled it over his head. He was able to get his good arm into a sleeve, but his injured arm wasn't as cooperative. Kristine managed to slip it into the sleeve without causing too much pain, and he lay back against the fluffy pillows, holding out his good hand to her.

She took it and got into bed next to him. With his arm around her, Kristine got as close as she could and rested her head on his chest. Dean knew they would have to talk, but he was too tired. He was barely even able to brush her hair with a kiss before he fell asleep.

-----

Kristine slept for a while, and Dean was still sleeping when she woke up. She lay next to him for several minutes, wondering if this would be the last time, before she finally got up. It was nearly noon, and she wanted to make sure the other hunters were all right.

After cleaning up in the bathroom down the hall, she knocked on Sam's bedroom door. There was no answer, but she pushed open the door enough to see he was still asleep. She was heading for the kitchen when she heard voices in the den.

Ellen and Patch were on the couch, cups of coffee on the table in front of them. Patch didn't look nearly as bad as she would have expected considering the night's events and the amount of alcohol he'd had. "Am I interrupting?"

"Of course not," Ellen said quickly. "How are Sam and Dean?"

"Both still asleep. What about the others? I didn't –"

"Sleeping. Well, except for Eli. He's with Millie in the kitchen."

Kristine nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Patch, I'm so sorry about –"

"Thanks, Honey, but it comes with the territory."

"Still…."

Patch shook his head. "At least they died doin' what they did best. They died heroes."

Kristine didn't know what to say, which was unusual for her. After a hesitation that went on just a beat too long, she nodded. "I think I'll go check on things in the kitchen. I need coffee, anyway."

Kristine didn't see the concerned look on Ellen's face as she walked away and felt completely out of place as she sat at the kitchen table with Eli. He seemed more interested in eating than talking, and Millie was glad to have someone to cater to. She gave Kristine a disapproving look when she turned down the offer of food, but didn't push her.

-----

"How do you feel?" Dean asked his brother. After waking up alone, he'd gone into Sam's room to check on him, finding him awake.

"Headache is gone and I only see one of you."

"Good."

"What about you?"

"Arm is stiff, but I'm all right."

Sam sat up. "Have you been downstairs yet?"

"No. I just woke up a few minutes ago."

"Did you and Kristine talk last night?"

Dean shook his head. "I was too tired. She was acting strange, though."

"Yeah, well, last night wasn't good for anyone," Sam pointed out. "You okay?"

"You already asked me that. My arm –"

"Not your arm. You."

"Brady was a vampire, man. I told you before, it wasn't the same."

"Okay," Sam said. "But you know you don't always have to take the hard jobs. I can –"

"I know," Dean said. "I do."

Sam looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "I really want a shower."

"There are 27 bathrooms – we can both shower."

Sam smiled at the exaggeration. "I'll see you downstairs – or do you need help changing the dressing on your arm?"

Dean glanced at it. He knew he could handle it, but it would take twice as long. "Everything is probably downstairs, anyway."

"Okay. I'll see you down there."

-----

Dean paused in the den to have a few words with Patch and Ellen, but after a few minutes, he moved onto the kitchen. He could smell the fresh-brewed coffee before he even got to the door and even though he hadn't thought he was hungry, the aroma of bacon and eggs made his stomach growl.

"Hi, Dean," Millie said with a smile. "Coffee's almost ready. How about some breakfast?"

"Yeah, thanks."

She smiled at him. "Good. Sit down and I'll bring it to you in a few minutes."

He took an empty chair next to Kristine and reached for her hand. "How long have you been up?"

"Not long. Did you sleep okay?"

"As good as expected, I guess."

She looked at his arm. "We need to get that bandaged up again."

"It can wait a few minutes."

Dean turned his attention to Eli, and the two men talked about nothing in particular until Millie announced a tray was ready.

"Mark and Jonesy are taking last night pretty hard," Eli said. "I'm gonna see if I can get 'em to eat. They don't want to come downstairs quite yet."

Dean nodded, and watched him walk out of the room. Millie put a cup of coffee in front of him and Dean nodded his thanks.

"Is Sam awake?"

As if in answer, the younger Winchester walked into the kitchen. He got a cup of coffee, accepted Millie's offer of food, then sat down with Dean and Kristine. Dean nodded to him slightly, letting him know there was no reason to feel uncomfortable and that he was welcome to stay. He assumed Sam would think Dean wanted some time alone with Kristine, and while he did, he didn't want to rush it.

"How are you feeling?" Kristine asked him.

"Better than when we got here," Sam answered. "I saw Eli on the stairs."

Dean nodded. "Sounds like the others aren't handling last night too well."

"I guess sometime today we're going to have to figure out a next step."

"We have time," Dean said. "I don't think any of us are ready for another meeting quite yet. Besides, we don't know where Brady's cronies would have gone."

"I called the hotel," Patch said as he and Ellen came into the kitchen. "Talked to our favorite desk clerk, who had just gotten on duty. He said the girl the vamp had come to see checked out this morning. She still had a night or two left, but didn't take the refund."

"Any idea where she went?"

Patch shook his head and refilled his coffee cup.

"All that coffee is going to make you jumpy without some food," Millie warned him. She carried a couple of plates to the table and set them in front of the brothers. "You sure you don't want anything, Kristine?"

"Do we have any bagels?"

Millie rolled her eyes. "We do, but that's hardly enough."

"It's fine," Kristine assured her. "And I'll get it myself."

Millie held up her hand. "Sit."

"I kinda figure if the woman split, so did the rest of Brady's vamps," Patch said. "But there's the other group to find. I'm gonna go upstairs and check on my crew. Let's get together in a couple of hours and start brainstorming."

Dean saw the pointed look that Patch shot in Kristine's direction, but was glad he hadn't said anything. When he'd stopped in the den to talk to him, Dean told him that he hadn't asked Kristine about Benjamin yet.

After Dean was finished eating, Kristine insisted she let him take care of his arm. He was glad that she seemed to be less uncomfortable than before, but wondered how they would both feel after their conversation.

They went to a downstairs bathroom where Kristine pulled out the supplies she'd need from under the sink. They were quiet as she applied the antibiotic and wrapped Dean's arm.

"How's that? Too tight?" she asked.

"No, it's fine. Thanks."

She smiled and repacked the first aid kit. Once she'd put it away, Dean pulled her close and kissed her gently. "You wanna go for a walk? Maybe go hang out at the cottage for a little while?"

"Yeah, sure."

After donning jackets and letting Sam know where they'd be, the duo left the main house. Holding hands, they walked along the dirt road that wound through the estate.

"I get the feeling you want to talk about something," Kristine said after a few minutes.

"Yeah," he glanced at her. "I'm just not sure how."

"Is it about something that happened last night?"

"Kristine…." Dean hesitated, then led her to a small clearing just off the road. He sat down on the old wooden bench that he knew had been there since her grandparents lived on the estate. "Who is Benjamin?"

Kristine didn't react, though Dean suspected that was only because of years of practice as a counselor. He was relieved that she didn't try to lie or avoid the question, but her answer wasn't as complete as he'd hoped for.

"He's a vampire."

"Yeah, that much I know."

"Was he there last night?"

"No. I hear he belongs with a vamp named Jean-Claude. You know him?"

Kristine's expression didn't waiver when she nodded. Her voice was soft. "Yeah. I met Benjamin once. He….He's the one who beat me up."

"Why didn't you tell me it was a vampire? I'm allowed to go after vampires, right?"

"I didn't want you going after him for revenge."

"You said it was being handled." Dean tried to control his sudden anger.

"It is," she faced forward. "By Jean-Claude."

"I don't understand."

"I don't know why Benjamin came after me. He got guest credentials from a member of the club, then apparently killed the member. He wasn't working under orders from Jean-Claude, so Jean-Claude is looking for him."

"You've talked to Jean-Claude?"

Kristine nodded.

"Does he have anything to do with those vamps you hooked up with when you were looking for Sam before?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Kristine, please don't make this so hard. I feel like if I don't ask the right question, I'm not going to get the right answers. Just talk to me."

Kristine leaned forward and covered her face with her hands. After a few moments, she clasped her hands and looked at Dean before facing forward again. "It doesn't matter how I met Jean-Claude. I think it was an accidental meeting, but I don't know that for a fact. I'm not going to say he's a friend, because he isn't, but I think I can trust him. At least to a certain extent."

"And you believe he didn't send this Benjamin after you?"

"I do. He has no reason to – and if he wanted me hurt, he'd do it himself."

Dean shuddered, then got control of his emotions. "The first vamp we got last night was named Brady. He said Benjamin came to him asking for sanctuary, but he refused because he doesn't – didn't – want a fight with Jean-Claude."

"That sounds like Benjamin is afraid of Jean-Claude, not following his orders," Kristine pointed out.

"Yeah, probably so. Brady knew Benjamin had been the one to hit you. I guess Benjamin told him when he asked for help. You have any idea why he went after you?"

Kristine shook her head. "No. I mean, other than the obvious. It isn't exactly a secret in some circles that I help hunters."

"But why would he come after you for that if his boss didn't seem to care?"

"I don't know, Dean." Her voice broke.

"You knew there were two groups in town," Dean looked at her. "Jean-Claude is in Asheville to see you, isn't he?"

"I called him to ask about Benjamin. I didn't know he'd come."

"But you knew he was here."

She nodded.

"And you didn't tell me."

"You already knew there were two groups," she responded weakly.

"And Jean-Claude is here to find Benjamin because you called him?"

"He came here to talk to me. He said Benjamin wasn't in town any more, and he left to follow a lead."

"You told him we were going after the vampires last night, didn't you?" Dean asked, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"He's not your problem, Dean. He's not the one who has been in town feeding on people. I….I just didn't want him caught in the crossfire when he was trying to help me. He's the only connection I have to Benjamin. The only way I'm going to find out why he beat me up."

"You…." Dean stood up and paced in front of her for a few moments. "That's the only reason you warned him?"

"What are you asking me?"

"You're still on our side, aren't you? The hunters? The _humans_?"

"Of course I am."

Dean had expected more emotion in her voice, but he recognized the monotone. He knew she was shutting down emotionally, if she hadn't already. And he suspected her involvement with Jean-Claude, whatever it was, had something to do with her mental condition. Dean looked at her; at her body language. She was bent over, elbows on her knees, and hands clasped. She was pale, and he knew she wasn't telling him the whole truth. He wasn't sure he needed to know all the details – and he was pretty sure he didn't _want _to know.

"Dean…." She looked at him plaintively, but didn't continue. She lowered her head and put her hands on the back of her neck.

Dean watched her for a moment, flashing back to the visit that had ended in him driving her to a Colorado mental hospital. She seemed to be so close to how she'd been then, and he was afraid for her. After a moment, he crouched in front of her and put his hands on hers. "Look at me."

She didn't move immediately, but when she finally looked at him, Dean didn't see what he'd expected. Instead of a blank expression, he saw uncertainty in her eyes.

"You gotta be honest with me here, Darlin'. If there's something I need to know…."

"Jean-Claude is no threat to you or the others. I'm not working against you."

"You say that, but….You know what's going on with Sam. You know as much as I do, anyway. He and Ruby –"

"It's not like that, Dean. I swear to you that I'm not in any kind of partnership with Jean-Claude. I hadn't even seen him in months before he came to see me the other day."

"Okay," Dean nodded. "But there's something going on with you."

Kristine looked into his eyes, but said nothing. After a few moments, she pulled her hands away and wrapped her arms around his neck. He held her protectively, neither of them speaking. Dean wasn't even sure how long they were like that when she moved away.

"You're scarin' me, Babe."

She caressed his cheek. "I don't mean to. I just…Look, like I told Ellen, I'm taking the meds and I have an appointment coming up. I'm not hurting myself again, but I won't pretend that everything is 100% okay. But I'm like everyone else, Dean. Even with pills, I'm not always happy."

"Okay," he said, though he didn't really understand. "I get not being happy. Sometimes it's not one thing in particular, but the effect of a bunch of stuff. Is it like that now?"

"Kinda. But I'm figuring it out, okay? Please try not to worry about me."

"Yeah, right," he snorted. "Is there anything I can do?"

Kristine looked at him with the ghost of a smile. "Just knowing you care…."

"You know I do."

"If you want, I'll try to get in touch with Jean-Claude later – he might know where Brady's crew went. But for now, can we go to the cottage? And just…just be alone for a little while?"

Dean stood up and held out his hand. Kristine took it, and they continued on to her house.

_TBC_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: See chapter 1

oooOOOooo

The key to change... is to let go of fear

_Rosanne Cash_

oooOOOooo

Sam looked up from his computer screen when he heard a knock on his bedroom door. "Come in." A moment later, Ellen was sitting on the edge of the bed. He couldn't mistake the worried expression on her face. "Did something happen? Something else, I mean?"

"No, I'm just worried. Sam, I don't know how honest Kristine is being with Dean, but….I'm scared that she's more involved in this vampire thing than she's let on. Patch told me what the vamp said last night – about her being beat up by one of them. I had no idea. I'd I had, I would have called before."

"I'm sure you would have. Ellen, no one is blaming you for anything here."

"I don't care if they are. That's not what I'm worried about," she sounded defiant.

"I'm sure Dean's talking to her now about what Brady said. He knows how to get information out of her."

Ellen nodded. "How are you doing, Honey? I know last night wasn't easy."

"Losing people never is," Sam smiled sadly. "But it was harder for Patch and his friends. I'm okay."

"Well, if you need anything…."

"I know. Thanks." He looked at her. "What about you?"

"Me?"

"You said you were worried. You wanna talk about it?"

"I don't know. I guess….I just wish I knew what was going on with Kristine. Maybe I should have called Dean sooner."

"He's not Kristine's keeper, Ellen. It's probably a good thing that you didn't jump the gun."

"Why wouldn't she tell me she'd been beaten up by a vampire?"

"Probably because she didn't want you to call Dean," Sam smiled.

"You think that's the only reason?"

"What do you mean?"

Ellen shrugged. "I don't know. Nothing, really. I just….I just wish she trusted me more."

"It probably doesn't have anything to do with trust, Ellen. She's had to depend on herself for a long time – she isn't used to having someone around to help her. I'm sure this isn't personal."

"I sound like a real whiner, don't I?" Ellen asked with a small laugh. "This isn't about me. Really, it isn't."

"I know that," Sam assured her. "We're all on edge. How's Patch doing?"

"He's angry and sad, but he'll be all right. I'm not sure he's too trusting of Kristine right now."

Sam nodded. He wasn't particularly surprised, but hearing that worried him. He didn't think they had anything to be concerned about – Kristine was an ally, and no matter what was going on in her personal life, he was confident that would never change.

-----

Dean found Sam in his bedroom later that afternoon, and spoke to him privately before they joined the other hunters downstairs. Kristine had left a message for Jean-Claude before she and Dean left the cottage, but they both knew it would be a few hours before he even got it.

"I don't want to get into the whole story," Dean began, hoping he sounded like he knew more than he actually did. "But Kristine knows Jean-Claude, the leader of the second group in town. He was here to look for Benjamin, the vamp that beat her up. He and his group are gone, following up on a lead."

"A lead?" Patch asked.

Dean nodded. "He knows Benjamin is gone, and is after him. The attack on Kristine wasn't sanctioned."

"She knows that how?" Patch sounded angry.

"Look, I know you're pissed about last night, but Kristine isn't the enemy here. You heard Brady. I think we can be sure that the groups aren't working together, and we weren't attacked by Jean-Claude."

Patch snorted, but said nothing.

"She's trying to get in contact with Jean-Claude," Dean said, ignoring Patch. "He might have some information about where Brady's group went."

"Oh, good," Patch sneered. "We're getting intel from a vampire now."

Dean glanced at Sam for support. After a nod from his brother, Dean looked at Patch. "What do you want here? Have any of your contacts come up with anything? Do _you_ know where the vamps who attacked us are?"

"No, but I don't think we should trust another vampire!"

"It's one source of information," Sam interjected.

"What is Kristine's relationship with him, anyway?" Eli asked.

"He's a contact," Kristine said, surprising Dean by walking into the den. He had expected her to keep her distance from the hunters for a while.

"A contact?" Patch repeated.

Kristine nodded. "He's given me information in the past, and I believe him when he says he had nothing to do with Benjamin coming after me. Like I told Dean, if he had reason to want me hurt, he'd do it himself."

"Why didn't you tell us about him before?"

"Because he isn't your enemy. He was only in town to….to find Benjamin. He isn't affiliated with the group you followed up here."

Patch looked thoughtful, then nodded. "All right."

"All right?" Kristine asked.

He nodded again. "You're right. We weren't after him or his people. But you still should have told us you had a connection to the second group that we knew was here."

Kristine glanced at Dean, then looked back to Patch. "You're right. I should have told you."

"So, it's true that a vamp attacked you," Patch mused. "Any idea why?"

"No. I….I recognized his face, and knew he traveled with Jean-Claude."

"And you called him for help?"

"He keeps his crew in line," Kristine said. "At least most of the time. They don't go after humans."

"That don't make 'em friends."

"Look, I didn't invite him over for dinner with you, okay? All I'm saying is that your fight isn't with him."

"It is if one of his came after one of ours," Patch said, his voice more gentle than before.

Kristine looked to Dean again briefly. "He's going to take care of that himself. And in the process, maybe he can tell us where the rest of Brady's group went."

-----

The call from Jean-Claude came about a hour after sunset. He told Kristine that he had heard about the battle the previous night, and had taken the liberty of putting one of his underlings on the track of the other vampires.

"What about Benjamin?" Kristine asked.

"He's here with me. In Kentucky, of all places."

"Has he told you anything yet?"

"Not yet, but he will. I'll be in touch."

Kristine slipped her cell phone back into her jeans pocket, then went to find Dean.

"Hey," she said walking into the media room where he and Sam were talking. The television was on, but neither one seemed to be watching it. "Jean-Claude just called."

She ignored the look that passed between the brothers, then walked further into the room. "He found Benjamin in Kentucky, but hasn't gotten anything out of him yet. He heard about what happened here last night, and started looking. The vampires that got away have scattered, and as far as he can tell, they're headed generally south. They're probably headed back home to Florida."

"Patch will probably want to go after them."

"You should help him." She looked at Dean.

Another look passed between him and Sam, but Dean only looked at her questioningly.

"I know you want to," Kristine said. "That attack was on you as well as him."

"Yeah, but…."

"I'll be fine."

Dean looked at Sam again.

"Oh, stop that!" Kristine said angrily, then lowered her voice. "Just trust me, okay?"

The hunters left early the next morning.

-----

"How about we stop for some food?" Sam suggested after they'd been on the road for a few hours. He wasn't especially hungry, but there was no missing how distracted Dean was. Sam had been trying to get him to talk since they left Mountain Ridge. This wasn't like their normal rides in silence. This wasn't like the times they weren't talking because of a fight. Sam knew Dean's mood was due to what Kristine had told him.

"I'm not really hungry. What do you want?"

Sam sighed to himself. Dean almost never turned down a chance to eat. "It's not about the food, man. You're wound too tight. You need a break."

"I'm fine, Sam."

"Would you at least talk to me, then?"

"What about?"

"The job? Kristine? Come on, Dean."

"Vampires," Dean groused. "Kristine and vampires."

"What did she tell you about Jean-Claude?"

"I told you everything she said."

"What do you suspect, then?"

Dean looked at Sam from the corner of his eye, but said nothing.

"You think there's more to her relationship with Jean-Claude than what she said."

Dean glanced into the rearview mirror, then pulled off the road. He got out of the car and paced. Sam watched for a moment, before opening his own door. He leaned against the hood, waiting until Dean was ready to talk. A few minutes later Dean was next to him.

"There are things I haven't told you," Dean said quietly. "Not because I don't trust you or anything, but because it's Kristine's business."

"I get that," Sam said. "You don't have to tell –"

"When she's depressed, she looks for….adventure. So, yeah," Dean glanced at him. "I think there was more to their relationship."

"You mean….Oh." Sam had to admit, if only to himself, that he'd suspected Kristine's sexual activity could be unusual, but it had never occurred to him that she'd go beyond humans. Then again, Sam never thought he'd have sex with a demon. He was in no position to judge.

"We're not monogamous. You know that. I don't think about it, though. Her with other guys? But with a _vampire_?" Sam said nothing, but he saw Dean look at him. "Sorry."

"We've already talked about that," Sam said. "And it's over with me and Ruby, okay? But in a way, I think I know how Kristine felt. If she really…."

"You do?"

Sam was surprised at Dean's tone. He sounded curious rather than disgusted. Sam nodded. "I was at rock bottom. You were gone, and I couldn't get you back. I tried everything, but nothing worked. I was drinking and not thinking straight. I don't know what Kristine's triggers are, but she's been at rock bottom more than once."

"But a vampire?"

"Demon," Sam shrugged.

Dean sighed and nodded. Sam gave him time with his thoughts, but stayed close by. A few minutes later they heard a car pull up behind them, and turned to look at the same time. Patch was at the wheel.

"You boys all right?"

"Yeah, just about to get back on the road," Dean called.

Patch waved. "I'm gonna need gas soon. How 'bout we meet up in about 50 miles? There's a place called Riley's Diner….I'll see ya there?"

Dean nodded. "Sounds good."

The brothers waved as Patch drove off.

"You all right?" Sam asked after a moment.

"Yeah," Dean sighed heavily and pushed himself off the car.

Once they were back on the road, Sam glanced at Dean. "So, why aren't you and Kristine exclusive?"

Dean looked at him, then back to the road. "We are _not _having this conversation."

Sam smiled.

-----

That evening, the hunters checked into a motel close to where the vampires had been staying before. The sun was still up, so they decided to check out the house. It didn't appear to be occupied from the outside, and they went inside to take a closer look.

"We could have beat them here," Sam suggested when it became obvious the vampires weren't there.

"Or they didn't come back here after all," Patch growled. "Jean-Claude could have led us on a wild goose chase."

Dean wanted to defend Kristine's trust in him, but found he couldn't. Even if Jean-Claude didn't hunt people, he was still a vampire.

"I'll start asking around, put out some feelers," Patch said. "You guys may as well take the night off. I'll call you."

"Patch –"

"I said I'd call you," Patch said angrily and walked away. He paused at the door. "Thanks for your help so far, boys."

Sam looked at his brother after Patch was gone. "Now what?"

"Beer."

Sam nodded and followed Dean outside. "Okay."

-----

They'd finished a second round when Dean's cell phone rang. It was just before 9pm, and as far as he was concerned, the night was still young. He looked at the caller ID display, then looked at Sam. "I'll be outside." He answered the phone on his way to the door.

Kristine told him that one of Jean-Claude's lieutenants had called, saying that Brady's team had regrouped and were three hours outside of Stevens, the practically non-existent town where they lived. Dean called Patch, but got his voicemail and left a frustrated message. He called Kristine back as he'd promised he would.

"Did Jean-Claude get anything out of Benjamin yet?" Dean asked after telling her about getting Patch's voicemail.

"I don't know. He said he'd be in touch, and since he hasn't called, I assume no."

"What the hell is taking him so long?"

"Dean…."

"Yeah, okay. How are you?"

"I'm good. I miss you, but I'm good."

"I miss you too, Darlin'. Maybe we can take care of this first thing in the morning, and I'll be back tomorrow."

"Even if you take care of it at dawn, you have to sleep," Kristine said with a slight laugh. "And you damn well better be careful."

"We'll be careful," he promised. "Hey, is Jean-Claude's flukie here?"

"No. He's tracking the others – behind them. He'll keep an eye on them until he's sure where they're going. He….He'll call me to relay messages unless you want me to give him your number."

"Oh great. Just what I always wanted."

"I can be the middle man. It's okay."

"No. Give him my number."

"Okay. Call me when you're done? Let me know you're all right – I'll be awake."

"I'll call."

-----

The brothers left the bar and headed back to their motel. They found Patch in his room; he'd just listened to Dean's voicemail and alerted the other hunters. A few minutes later they were all in Patch's room, formulating a plan.

Kristine gave Dean's number to Ambrose, and he called with regular updates. His last call was a half hour before dawn, and he was sure the vampires were headed home. The hunters had all gone to their own rooms to try to sleep between calls, with the understanding they'd meet up at the diner across the street after the sun came up.

They were all tired, but emotionally ready to go after the vampires. Mark and Jonsey had both been too injured to come on the trip and were still back in North Carolina, but the remaining four hunters felt sure they could handle the job.

Contrary to popular lore, sunlight has no particular effect on vampires other than being unpleasantly bright. They prefer to sleep during the day, and tend to sleep deeply. They were stronger than humans, and could only be killed by decapitation, but with surprise on their side, the hunters thought they could defeat the four vampires.

They ate breakfast, drank coffee, and went over the plan. It was fairly simple – sneak into the house with dead man's blood and sharp blades. There was no reason to make it more complicated, and after a last round of coffee, the hunters felt they'd given the vampires enough time to fall asleep.

They arrived in 2 vehicles, and parked well away from the rural house. Having been there the night before, they knew the layout. There were four bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom, living room. A utility room with a surprisingly new-looking washer and dryer was off the kitchen. Each bedroom had at least 2 twin beds in it, except for the master which had a plush king-sized bed against one wall.

The windows were all painted black, and there was one door in the front and one in the back. The Winchesters quietly approached the house from the back, while Eli and Patch took the front. They all moved carefully, keeping an eye out for traps or warning alarms. Creatures that slept so soundly during the day would most likely have some kind of protection around, but the hunters had found nothing in the previous visit.

They made it to the hallway without alerting the vampires to their presence and found they were sleeping in two bedrooms. Dean looked toward Patch and Eli, who were outside a room down the hall. They nodded, and he turned to Sam. Once everyone was ready, they all moved in at the same time.

Sam saw the vampire move as Dean approached its bed, but things moved too fast for him to do anything about it. He wanted to help his brother, but had no choice but to kill his own target first. By the time he got to Dean, his brother had been thrown against a wall and pinned by the vampire's strong hands. His blade was out of reach, and Dean was struggling against the vampire to avoid being bitten.

Without a word, Sam grabbed the vampire by the shoulders and pulled him away from Dean. He fell to the floor as Sam took over the fight. Killing him took all the strength Sam had, as well as help from Eli. Sam hadn't seen or heard him come into the room, but was glad for his help.

Dean was just sitting up when Sam got to him, and Patch was in the room a moment later. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Dean rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Sam saw some of the stitches in Dean's arm had been pulled out, and he was bleeding. "We're gonna need to fix that."

"Damn bastards ruined another perfectly good shirt," Dean grumbled as he took the towel offered by Patch. He nodded a thanks, wrapping it around his arm. "Let's burn this mother down and get the hell out of here."

They dragged the vampires to the center of the hallway, and spread accelerant on them as well as throughout the house. Dean dropped the match onto the bodies and watched for a moment, until Sam pulled him back by his shoulder. They'd left a clear path to the front door, but Eli was standing outside with another can of gasoline. As soon as Patch and the brothers were clear, he poured it around and threw in another match.

"We should get out of here," Eli said after they'd been watching the growing inferno for a few minutes. There were no other houses around to get damaged, but they didn't want to be responsible for an out-of-control fire. Once they were back at their cars, Patch called 911 to report the fire. They were safely out of the area before the fire trucks arrived.

Back at the motel, the hunters assessed their injuries and Sam re-stitched Dean's arm. The men were quiet, despite their victory. Sam's thoughts were on the hunters that had been lost, and he had no doubt that's what the others were thinking about as well. Dean, no doubt, was still worried about Kristine, but Sam could see he was also in pain. He refused anything stronger than ibuprofen, though.

-----

Kristine was dozing on the couch in the media room when her cell phone rang. She heard Ellen stir in the nearby recliner as she reached for the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Babe, it's me."

Immediately awake, Kristine sat up. "Dean. What happened? Are you okay?"

"Everyone is fine," Dean assured her. "Vampires are dead, the house was set on fire. It's over here."

"You sound exhausted. You're going to sleep, right? You're not planning to drive now, are you?"

"Yeah – we all need a few hours of sleep. You have to work soon, don't you?"

"I have some appointments later this morning," Kristine said. "Are you back at the motel?"

"Uh-huh." Dean sounded like he was about to fall asleep.

"Is Sam with you?"

"He's in Patch's room, but he'll be in here soon."

"Hang up the phone – plug it in – and get into bed. You sound like you're about to fall over."

"Pretty close," Dean agreed. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, Darlin'. Go to sleep. Call my cell when you wake up, okay?"

"Yeah, all right. I'll talk to you later."

Kristine put her phone back on the table, then turned to Ellen.

"They're okay?"

Kristine nodded. "They're going to get some sleep, then head back."

Ellen closed her eyes for a moment. "Thank goodness."

"Yeah." Kristine looked at her watch. "I don't have to be up for a couple of hours. I'm gonna try to get some real sleep."

"That sounds like a good idea. I'll walk up with you."

It didn't take long for Kristine to fall asleep knowing Dean and the others were safe. She was glad he hadn't asked about Jean-Claude and Benjamin again, but she knew he wouldn't put it off for long.

-----

Patch and Eli were closer to home than to the estate. Patch had spoken to Mark and Jonesy, and glad to hear they were in better health, decided not to drive back to North Carolina. After a couple cups of coffee together at the diner, with Patch eliciting a promise from Dean to call if they needed help with Benjamin or Jean-Claude, the hunters went their separate ways.

Sam was surprised when Dean held out the car keys. "You mind?"

"No, of course not. You okay?"

"Yeah, just…."

"Just what?" Sam was concerned.

"I'm just tired, and my arm is bothering me."

"We have stronger pills."

"Yeah, I know."

"But you'd rather suffer. I get it. Makes total sense." Sam rolled his eyes.

Dean scowled at him. "Shut up and drive."

-----

It was late when the brothers got back to North Carolina. Dean had taken over the wheel, but Sam still didn't think he was feeling very good. Ellen and Kristine were waiting up for them, and Millie had made sure there was food available before she'd gone to bed.

The women watched with some amusement as Sam insisted on examining Dean's arm, then practically force-fed him an antibiotic pill. Hunters generally had well-stocked first aid kits with things the average person normally didn't stockpile. Dean put up only a token fight, though. He didn't want an infected arm, and almost always gave into Sam, anyway.

Kristine and Sam had talked about the change in Dean since he'd come back from Hell. Sam was concerned that his brother hadn't come back the same; that he wasn't as strong and had a harder time seeing a job to the end. Kristine's opinion was that he was more thoughtful than before, weighing matters more than he used to.

She had also pointed out that Dean was worried about Sam and his relationship with Ruby. She thought that maybe it wasn't so much that Hell had changed him, though it would no doubt change anyone, but more that he had resigned himself to things he couldn't change. She hadn't said that to Sam, but often regretted not pushing him harder in their discussion.

After some more minor brotherly arguments, Sam announced he was going to bed. Kristine noticed a meaningful glance pass between him and Dean before Sam left the kitchen. She knew that Sam and Dean were pretty far apart right now, but in the end, they still loved each other and shared a bond that would be difficult to break. She used to think it would be impossible to break, but they were both dealing with some pretty significant outside forces.

Dean opted for a shower before going to bed, and Kristine was surprised when he fell asleep without asking about Benjamin.

-----

Dean hadn't expected to see Kristine when he woke up in the morning. He assumed that she would be at work, and not sitting at the breakfast nook in the kitchen with Sam.

"Mornin'," he said in slightly more than a grunt.

"Good morning, Sunshine." Dean thought Kristine's voice was annoyingly chipper, though in reality it wasn't much different than usual.

"How long have you two been up?"

"I just got here," Sam said.

Dean joined them at the table.

"I rescheduled my appointments for today," Kristine said. "And I recruited Millie to take Jonesy and Mark into Asheville to get a car. They want to get back home."

"You sent Millie away?" Dean asked. "How will we eat?"

"She wasn't going to be here, anyway. She had some personal business to take care of. She'll be back tonight."

"Well, damn," Dean pretended to pout.

Ellen through the back door a few minutes later. "It's about time you people got up."

"Where have you been?" Kristine asked.

"I went out for a walk before breakfast."

"Millie's gone," Dean said dramatically. "There is no breakfast."

"I think I can manage to scramble some eggs," Kristine said. "And if you're lucky, I can even make bacon."

As it turned out, all four of them had a hand in making breakfast, and they settled outside to eat. The sun was shining directly onto the deck overlooking the pool, and the unseasonably warm weather was continuing.

At first the conversation was light and fun, but once everyone had finished eating and had full coffee mugs again, Ellen asked the brothers about the vampires. Sam told the story, glossing over the worst of what happened. Since the fight had been fairly quick, he didn't really need to leave much out.

"Your turn," Dean said to Kristine after a brief silence. "What's going on with Benjamin?"

Dean saw the look that passed between the women, and he automatically assumed he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Jean-Claude got the answers out of him."

"That's it?" Dean inwardly cringed at his tone. He hadn't intended to sound so angry, and he avoided Kristine's pointed stare.

"Benjamin knew about me and the estate. Apparently he thought he'd win Jean-Claude's favor by hurting me. He'd intended more than one attack, which was why he didn't kill me outright."

Dean didn't like the iciness in Kristine's voice, and he didn't think it was aimed at him. Kristine wasn't an active hunter and didn't take her life in her hands routinely. Dean didn't think she should be so matter-of-fact about the vampire's intentions.

"He didn't know that you and Jean-Claude are friends?" Dean asked sarcastically.

Kristine glared at him, and said nothing. If they'd been paying attention, she and Dean would have noticed the uncomfortable squirming from Ellen and Sam.

"You know what, Dean? Screw you." Kristine stood up and walked into the house.

"Damnit," Dean muttered.

"Dean," Ellen began with a soft tone.

"I know, I know."

"No, you don't," Ellen said, her tone harsh. "There's a whole hell of a lot going on that you don't know about. Benjamin is still alive."

Dean looked at her. "What? I assumed Jean-Claude would –"

"Kill him?" Ellen guessed. "Yeah, that supposedly was the plan, but Benjamin got away."

"Supposedly the plan?" Sam asked.

Ellen shrugged. "Kristine seems to believe him, but he's a vampire. And I don't know him, so….But there's something else."

"What?" Dean asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"Kristine and I have talked a lot in the last couple of days, and….I had no idea what she was going through and I live here. Now, honestly, I think she's doing a lot of it too herself and taking things too seriously, but the end result is the same. She feels the way she does. And…."

"And what?" Dean asked, worriedly.

"She's making plans to leave."

"Leave? To go where? Another hospital?"

Ellen shook her head. "Look, Sweetie, this is for her to tell you, okay? I shouldn't have said anything, but since I have….she's going to take a job in Dallas."

"What? Why? With a vampire out there that wants her dead?"

"He may not care any more since he knows it won't make Jean-Claude happy," Ellen said. "But you need to o talk to her."

Dean looked at Ellen for a moment, then glanced at Sam. He nodded, and Dean walked inside. He saw Kristine's coffee mug on the counter, but she wasn't in the kitchen. He checked a couple of the downstairs rooms before going to the bedroom they'd shared the night before. She wasn't in there, either. He called her cell phone number, not expecting her to answer, and when she didn't, he headed off on the road through the woods.

Kristine had a few minute heads start, but it didn't take Dean long to catch up. He'd been practically jogging down the road, and she'd stopped at a spot not too far from the house. Dean knew it had some significance to her, but he wasn't sure what. He thought maybe it had something to do with her father.

While most of her immediate family had succumbed to some kind of demon attack, her father had lost to another kind of beast – cancer. Dean and Kristine had talked about it, but she'd never gone into specifics. She mostly talked about their relationship and how much she'd missed him after he died. It had been less than three years later that her sister and nephew were killed by Azazel.

Dean stopped when he saw Kristine sitting in the small grove of pear trees just off the road. They'd been planted in an area that used to hold a gazebo used for summer parties in some generation before Kristine was born. She was sitting on the ground, her back against one of the trees. Her legs were stretched out in front of her, her arms crossed over her chest and eyes closed.

She must have heard him as he took a step forward because her eyes opened. She looked at him almost warily.

"I'm sorry," Dean said.

"For what?" she asked quietly.

Dean didn't answer immediately. Instead he moved closer and sat down next to her. "For what I said. I don't know what your relationship with Jean-Claude is, but whatever it is, what I said was mean."

"You wanna know what our relationship is?" She sounded tired. "Or was, is more like it."

"I'm not sure," Dean said honestly. He wanted to put his arm around Kristine, but he didn't think she would respond very well. Instead, he just sat close to her.

Kristine sighed deeply. "I've decided to leave Mountain Ridge. Ellen told you that, though, didn't she?"

"That's about all she said about it."

"The company that owns the clinic where I work is opening another one in Dallas – one for just children. I was given the opportunity to run it. For now, it's just a one-year assignment."

"Why do you want to leave here?"

"Ellen thinks I've put too much pressure on myself, but that's what I feel. All the time. Pressure. Pressure to be a good Ryan, a good counselor, a good…whatever it is I am at the estate. I can get rid of two of those by leaving. In Dallas, I'll be just another person. I won't be a _Ryan_. I won't have to worry about something I do outing the estate."

"This is a big deal, Kristine."

"I know that," she opened her eyes, but didn't look at him. "I talked to my supervisor at the clinic, I talked to my therapist. It's not often you get that much agreement on a decision."

"They think you should go?"

"They don't think it's a bad idea. Career-wise, it's a smart move."

"I didn't know you were concerned about your career."

Kristine shrugged. "When it's convenient. Besides, that's not the point."

"Look," Dean gently turned her head toward him. "If this is what you want, then I'm all for it. I'm just worried about you being alone."

"I haven't been doing so well here," she smiled sadly. "And it won't be like when I just left after you…died. Everyone will know where I am, and I'll keep in touch. Who knows? I might come back in a year."

"You have this all figured out, huh?"

She laughed. "No. But it's coming together. I have a month to transition out of this clinic, and the company is going to put me up in a hotel near the clinic in Dallas for a couple of months while I look for a more permanent place. Ellen can run everything here, but if she gets into something she can't handle, I'm a phone call away, as are all of her contacts. She's been in the game a whole lot longer than I have. My therapist is researching doctors for a referral, and Dallas is closer to Bobby's than Mountain Ridge is."

"Will you promise me something?"

"What's that?" She finally looked at him.

"If you need anything, _anything,_ you'll call me or Ellen. If you start to feel like you're falling, you get in touch with someone."

Kristine smiled at him and touched his cheek gently. "I promise. And you know, you can come to visit. I'm not going to hide, okay?"

Dean leaned into her hand, then pulled her closer. "I'd find you."

Kristine put her arms around him, holding him tight. "I know you would."

-----

Dean and Kristine spent a lot of time together over the next few days, when she wasn't at work. She had a lot to do with only a month left with her current clients, and a move half-way across the country eminent. He'd wanted to stay longer, but Castiel had contacted him with an assignment. That wasn't how the angel had put it, but Dean knew that's what it came down to.

"You okay leaving like this?" Sam asked once he and Dean were on the road.

Dean thought about that for a moment. "Kristine is doing the right thing. I think."

"And what about Benjamin?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm more worried about Jean-Claude."

"Why?"

"It's like Ellen said. Benjamin already has Jean-Claude on his ass. Hurting Kristine will only make that worse."

"But why are you worried about Jean-Claude?"

"I don't trust him," Dean said with a shrug. "Maybe it's just because he's a vampire. I don't know."

Sam nodded, and they settled back into a comfortable silence for a few miles.

"Hey, Sam?" Dean began quietly.

Sam didn't look away from the book sitting on his lap. "Hmmm?"

"Do I….When Kristine was telling us about Benjamin that morning on the deck….I chased her off. Do I do that to you? Treat you like that?"

From the corner of his eye, Dean saw Sam look at him. "Truth?"

"Yeah," Dean glanced at him.

"Sometimes."

Dean knew that would be the answer, but it still hurt to hear it. "I don't mean to."

"I know that. You have no problem yelling at me when you think I need it, or I've done something to piss you off. But sometimes….Sometimes I think you try to keep it inside because you don't want to start a fight. You don't like the idea of me and Ruby. You don't like me using my power. I get that. But I also know that me even _having _this power, how ever I got it, makes me not quite human."

"Sam!" Dean had never heard his brother say that before. Dean didn't like Sam's power, but he'd never thought of him as something other than human.

"Oh, come on! You've said it yourself – if you didn't know me, you'd want to hunt me."

"But –"

Sam didn't let him continue. "I know how that has to tear you up, Dean. You're my big brother. You've taken care of me my whole life, but now I'm something that some hunters would fear. I know that isn't easy for you."

Dean didn't know what to say.

"Look," Sam said after a few moments. "I know you care. You're still in my corner and you've still got my back – no matter how much you don't like some things, you're still my brother. Kristine knows how you feel about her, too. Just…."

"Just what?" Dean asked, his voice low.

"Don't try to avoid fights. Just be honest with us."

Dean had the distinct impression that Sam had actually wanted to say something else…maybe something about him being judgmental. He didn't mean to pass judgment, he was no better than anyone else, but Dean knew that he was often guilty of doing just that.

"Things used to a whole hell of a lot easier," Dean said after another silence. "It was simple to find evil, and we destroyed it. Now? Not so much."

"I know what you mean. Demons that help, angels that hurt. It's hard to keep it all straight."

Dean wasn't so sure that they had a demon who really wanted to help, but he couldn't deny that Sam would probably have killed himself if not for Ruby. For that, at least, he was grateful.

"Well, for what it's worth," Dean said. "I'm sorry for the times I made you feel bad."

"It means a lot, Dean. Thank you."

Dean gave him a meaningful look before turning back to the road. After a moment, he reached for the volume control on the radio and turned up the music. Sam smiled and settled back against the seat, his eyes back on his book.

The End


End file.
